Rocky Patel Nicaraguan Toro (6x52)

Rocky Patel cigars and I have an interesting history.  It all started several years ago when I was introduced to the Olde World Reserve, it remains to this day one of the best cigars I have ever smoked, well the original version anyway.  In recent years though the bloom has fallen of the rose.  The offerings have become one dimensional and pedestrian at best, and just downright foul at worst.  It is real shame, but nothing can be done by me, so I motor on and write reviews.

This particular cigar is a house blend for Famous Smoke, you can find them here.  The cigar itself is a nice looking, dark presentation and everything you would expect from a Nicaraguan cigar.  The band work looks like something from a Truck Stop humidor, you know the ones, some random bundle of dry leaves for ten bucks.  In the defense of house blends though, I have never seen a band on a house blend that was worth anything of note, and it certainly does not dictate the quality of the smoke in many cases.  I have smoked some excellent house blends in my day.  This cigar has little veining and seems to be well constructed, I can't find any issues along the length of this smoke.  The pre light aroma is full of earth and pepper notes.  The pre light draw shows notes of coffee and some hints of wet earth.

The cigar opens with a profile that is reminiscent of Truck Stop coffee, to continue the metaphor from above.  You know this coffee all too well I think, the tar that comes out of an old pot served to you by someone named Flo or Polly.  Don't get me wrong, I actually like this coffee.  It is robust, it has flavor and it has character.  It's not some seven dollar over filtered swill with fancy Italian sizes I don't understand.  It comes in a cracked mug, it's hot and it costs about a buck.  This cigar has strong coffee notes, very strong and I like it.  There is not much else on the front of the palate at this point, but the coffee notes are right in my face.  The back of the palate shows some pepper and earth.  The draw is very fluid and delivers nice, satisfying mouthfuls of smoke with each slight draw.  The burn is right on the money.

The first half of the cigar continues to show strong coffee notes, but there is sweetness coming in here that hearkens to dark fruit and maybe some cocoa.  The back of the palate continues to show earth and pepper notes that really don't fully develop well.  All in all this has been a well above average experience thus far.  The draw continues to perform well to this point.  The burn is also still solid.

The final half of the cigar actually falls off a bit.  The coffee notes turn sour and then bitter, this has an almost acidic quality to it.  The back of the palate also becomes slightly metallic and detracts from the experience.  The draw and burn are solid right through to the end.

The finish was a bit short and had some bitter notes, however the coffee flavors were still identifiable.

At the end of the day this was the Rocky Patel cigar I have smoked in some time, all though the competition is not what it once was when considering this frontmark.

Appearance- 83 kind of cheap looking
Taste- 86 really good until the last half
Construction- 93 a very nice performance
Strength- 87 a nice medium/full
Overall- 88 a nice performance buoyed by construction

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Toro (6.5x52)

It is well known by now that I don't smoke Rocky Patel offerings as part of my daily routine, hell I don't even smoke them as part of my yearly routine.  This particular brand just plain lost me several years ago and I don't return to the fold easily.  However, as part of my ongoing commitment to smoke all new cigars that come on to the market I must offer this one up to the cigar gods as well and I couldn't dodge it any longer.  Recently, Rocky himself was a guest on my radio show so I decided I should do a Rocky review as a way to be relevant to the show and it's guests.  Not the best reason, but it's the one I'm going with.

This cigar was part of the cigars gathered at the 2012 Great Smoke in West Palm, as an aside if you have not gone to this event you really should, it is the premiere smoking event in Florida every year.  This cigar was sitting in my humi for few weeks and I'm not going to lie, I thought about foisting it off on some unsuspecting newbie as part of a moochidor purge, but then I realized that wasn't being fair to the newbie, the cigar or my readers so I manned up and smoked this mother myself.  Someday there will be songs written about my courage my friends!

The cigar actually presents well.  The wrapper is applied and has very few veins.  There is something about a nicely applied Cameroon wrapper that gets the taste buds humming and ready for some smoke.  I detect a few tight spots, but the test draws show no ill effects, so I decide to soldier on.  My only complaint about this cigar, and all of Rocky's cigars really, is the cheapness of the bands.  Can I get something that does not look like it is sold on the shelves of a truckstop on I-10?  The pre light draw showed some nice nutty richness.  The pre light aroma was decidedly woody.

The cigar opens with a profile that I would describe as all Cameroon.  There are some pleasing sweet nut flavors and a brush of spice as the wrapper really speaks for itself.  Sadly it is the only part of the cigar doing any talking as there are no complementary flavors and this leads to a lack of depth and complexity.  I love Cameroon, but it can't ever stand on it's own in my mind, and without some creative blending (a la Fuente Don Carlos) it just does not do enough for me.  At the back of the palate there are some nice light pepper hints and some light wood presentations, but they are not deep enough to impact the experience.

The first half of the cigar lumbers on, there is no nuance or complexity here, just straight Cameroon impressions.  The core profile is still just full of sweet nutty flavors, and the sweetness is actually ramping up at this point.  I am struggling to find more here, but there just isn't anything.  The back of the palate continues to show some light pepper and wood flavors that are not bold enough to much more than annoy me because I am looking, straining, reaching and praying for more.  The burn is fine to this point and the draw has performed well thus far.

In the final half trouble is a brewing.  The core profile becomes way too sweet for me and it takes on a dry grassy tone that overwhelms the subtlety of the nutty flavors that had been prominent.  The back of the palate becomes more tart, almost sour really, as a bitter and wheaty flavor takes over the presentation.  A small split has also begun to develop near the shoulder and it is starting to syphon of draw ability, I absolutely hate when this happens, and in this instance I can see it is being caused by a stem in the bunch.  The last couple of inches of the cigar become nearly impossible to manage as the split rips open.

The finish was tart, but there were some nice nutty flavors to hang on to.

Appearance- 87 aside from the band work it is a nice looking smoke
Taste- 85 very average for me, more complexity and depth were needed
Construction- 80 not bad until the end, that issue blew it for me
Strength- 88 a nice medium
Overall- 84.25 just below par all around

Rocky Patel Renaissance Sumatra Toro (6X52)

It is no secret that I have a black heart towards Rocky offerings, when they ruined the original Olde World Reserve with some crappy re blend I left the fold and have never been back.  Then along comes a friend with a respected palate and some solid reviewing chops and recommends this smoke.  To top it all off she gave me one and asked me to smoke it.  Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I accepted it and sat in my humi for a long time just never getting around to smoking it.  Well it is now ash and my thoughts follow.

The cigar presents well with a nice solid wrapper visual that is unmarred by veins or flaws.  The band is somewhat bland, but who smokes the band anyway (as a side note I have seen some drunks, they will remain nameless, smoke the band as well, but that is a story for another time)? Construction seems to be ok and I can't detect any areas of immediate concern.  The pre light aroma has all the pungent attributes of a hot barnyard.  The pre light draw is woody, but shows some hints of pepper and spice.

The cigar opens with a profile that is middling to me.  There are some nice dark wood flavors and a hint of raisins, but overall there is not real complexity or depth here.  The back of the palate is showing some rich tobacco notes, but I find myself wanting more from the get go.  The burn is wonky from the start, but I am resisting an immediate touch up.  The draw is nice and fluid and delivers plenty of smoke.

The first half of the cigar is a study in duality.  There are moments when this cigar wows me, these are when there are deep and rich flavors of wood, earth, raisin and spice.  Then there are moments that are flat and lacking, these are when there are papery flavors with some bitter soap like tastes.  Thankfully the wow moments are more numerous, but I am sad when pondering what this cigar could be with wow factor type consistency.  The burn levels out some, but is still lopsided.  The draw continues to be excellent.

The final half of the cigar settles down nicely.  The profile morphs into a nice presentation of wood, cocoa and spice flavors that are pleasing.  My only complaint would be that I would like some more power, but that is me being nit picky I guess.  At the back of the palate there is a satisfying earthiness that is melding the whole experience together.  There is one touch up required as the burn canoes in the last third so there will be some deductions for that, but the draw stays solid throughout.

The finish was long and earthy.  All in all this was a nice smoke.  Would it make me reconsider my Rocky position?  Probably not, but I might smoke one of these on rare occasion.

Appearance- 87 a nice looking smoke, but nothing over the top
Taste- 88 a nice experience toward the end, some deductions for issues in the first half\
Construction- 86 all burn related
Strength- 87 I would have liked more than the medium presented here
Overall- 87 a solid smoke that could have rated much higher with some consistency

Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary Toro (6.5x52)

I was the recipient of a pair of these smokes at a launch party a couple of months ago. This cigar had much fanfare around it, I am assuming that is because the Decade was such a smashing success. To say that I am skeptical about this smoke would be an understatement, recent Rocky Patel fare has been substandard to say the least. I have found this turn of events to be disappointing, as I used to enjoy many of Rocky's offerings, but in recent years have departed as other makers continue to do new and better things. In my mind inconsistency has killed this particular front mark for me, I have just smoked too many bad Rocky's in recent years.

This particular smoke presents well, but has some prominent veining and a toothy feel to it. The construction appears to be solid and I can not detect any areas of concern. The pre light aroma has some barnyard essence to it, and some hints of earth and rich tobacco. The pre light draw is a bit thin, but shows some strange flavors of loamy earth and odd spice.

This cigar opens with a profile that is far too bitter and is similar to crushed aspirin, it is difficult to discern any other flavors in the opening moments. At the back of the palate there are some dry and harsh notes of wood, but again it is difficult to spot much else here. The lack of anything enjoyable here is very disturbing to me. The draw is a little thin for me, but it is not causing any issues aside from being the delivery mechanism of foul tasting smoke. The burn is sharp at this point and a solid ash is forming.

The first half of the cigar shows some blessed development. The profile is still not anything to write home about, but the bitterness has gone away. There are some notes of coffee here and some light tastes of tobacco and earth, but there is little depth or complexity to any of these presentations. At the back of the palate there are some odd floral touches here, but overall some of the bitterness still persists. The draw remains thin to this point, but is still not causing any issues. The burn continues to be strong at this point.

The final half of the cigar strengthens in terms of performance, but it is still too little too late. The profile has improved and shows some nice flavors of coffee, earth and cocoa. At the back of the palate a crisp note of wood is present, but it is hinging on being a bit too dry for me. Dry smoke is the kiss of death in any cigar I smoke, as I will not tolerate a sore throat after something I am trying to enjoy. The draw opens up in the final third, but it opens too quickly and some heat causes issues late in the experience. The burn stays solid throughout.

The finish was short and had some bitter qualities that lingered. I was again disappointed by a Rocky offering. What has happened to these blends?

Appearance- 88 a fine looking cigar
Taste- 82 a sub par effort, and the parts that were acceptable were not complex
Construction- 85 very average, below average draw with above average burn
Strength- 85 a very middling medium
Overall- 84.5 another poor effort

Rocky Patel Decade Toro

I had this sitting in my humidor for awhile and I decided to give it a go while I watched my beloved hockey team participate in the first game of their playoff series against some game opponents from Nashville, yes Nashville, a hockey mecca to be sure. As the game gets under way, so does the cigar. It is an interesting cigar to look at, but not necessarily in a good way. The wrapper is a bit rugged and is mottled in some spots. There are prominent veins from the foot to the head and I am concerned about the burn. The cigar feels loosely put together and that usually means heat and an overly loose draw. Needless to say after inspection I am not overly optimistic. The pre light aroma has some hints of dark fruit and some light coffee essence that is interesting. The pre light draw tells me little, there are some ideas of wood and some light spice, but there really is not much there.

The cigar opens with blasts of coffee flavors. Now before you get excited and say something like "I like coffee, thus I will like this cigar!", let me caution you that this is not a pleasant coffee flavor. It is more like a coffee flavor that a waitress wearing an apricot colored smock, a dirty apron that was once white and lacy, too much eye shadow and bright red lipstick might offer if you were sitting in an I-10 truck stop at 3 AM in Southern Alabama. You know the kind of coffee you need a knife and fork to drink. The kind of coffee that gets scraped off the bottom of the pot in the dark hours when drunks and loons wander the earth while the rest of us are in bed. I digress, let me just say it was a putrescent coffee flavor that had little redeeming value. At the back of the palate there were some small glimmers of hope as I detect some notes of dark wood, but the is an underlying bitterness that takes away from any positive developments. The draw is far too loose and I am sure it will cause heat problems later in the smoke. The burn is even thus far, but with a draw this loose I anticipate burn issues as well.

The first half of the smoke shows no real development and the only saving grace is that my team is ahead 1-0 at this point and at least I can find some enjoyment in that. The profile maintains the muddy coffee flavors that are charred and bitter. At the back of the palate bitterness still persists. It is at this point that I realize the Cubs are at the Hawks game and I get a sinking feeling in my stomach as the team that as has not won a championship since 1908 has come to root for the team that has not won a championship since 1961, a cosmic turn of events that puts all the tumblers in place for a simply wretched evening. The draw is still too loose, but at least the burn is holding it's own to this point.

The last half of the cigar was as bad as the last half of the game. I watch my team play like idiots and they lose badly in a game they should have easily won. Screw the Cubs and their mojo anyway, I blame them for the loss and for this terrible cigar, it is all their fault. They should tuck their loser tails back between their legs and head back to the north side for all eternity and never befoul any other sporting venue with their presence. Just as this cigar should never foul my humidor again. The profile stays bitter and develops very little in the final half and I can find no redeeming qualities at the end, other than it is done. The burn stayed nice however, but the draw was way too loose throughout.

The finish was bitter and disappointing.

Appearance- 83 a below average looking smoke
Taste- 72 about as bad as it can get
Construction- 85 an average score as the burn stayed sharp
Strength- 80 too medium and it did not compliment anything in the profile
Overall- 79.5 a weak effort from my cigar and my team on this evening

Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Churchill

Unfortunately I discovered a little over a year ago that these just are not as good as they used to be. It was to my great disappointment, as this cigar had been in my top 10 for 2007 and 2008. I believe that the tobacco changed and our boy Rocky thought he could slip one by us, the result at the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 was an inferior cigar. I bought an entire box and was disgusted by the cigar, my only option was to lay them down and hope that they would get better.

This cigar is from a box that was purchased in October of 2008. I have only smoked one, right at the end of 2008, and it was wretched. This second cigar from the box presents well with a nice toothy wrapper that is almost black in color. I inspect the cigar and find some nice signs of aging, which is an encouraging trait in a cigar that you are hoping will come along. There are no signs of construction issues and there are no flaws in the wrapper, making the visual experience all the better. The pre light aroma has notes of chocolate and pepper. The pre light draw is very earthy, but shows some light presence of chocolate as well.

The cigar opens with a nice profile of tobacco, earth and light pepper and cocoa undertones. The depth of the flavors is acceptable, but the complexity and balance is lacking a bit. At the back of the palate there are some nice flavors of wood and earth, but again the balance is lacking. The draw is far too loose, and I notice that the roll of the cigar continues to loosen as the smoke continues. The burn is crooked from the start and the ash is flaky and chalky in texture and appearance.

The first third of the cigar continues to show some nice flavors of tobacco, earth and light cocoa but the overall impression begins to sour by the end of the first segment. At the back of the palate there are still some nice notes of wood and some spice shows through, but the flavors do not add or compliment the smoke in any way. The draw continues to deteriorate and there is heat very early in the smoke. The burn continues to wander and the ash drops flotsam all over my newly cleaned white shirt.

The middle third of the cigar begins the abysmal spiral that I feared from the beginning. The profile shows notes of charred tobacco and wood and there are sour notes permeating the experience. At the back of the palate the deterioration is complete and acrid notes are booming forward at an alarming rate. The draw continues to loosen and I am not sure what is holding the cigar together. The burn is lopsided and flaky, continuing to coat me in ash as if I escaped some Polynesian eruption.

The final third of the cigar is not worth much mention as the deterioration was complete. The finish is also not worth discussing as I rush to find my next smoke so as to purge the horrid remembrances of this rocket. The sad thing is these have improved with age! The nice thing is I still have half a box, minus two, to look forward to, excuse me while I transfer these into my Moochidor...

Appearance- 90 a very attractive looking smoke, too bad looks aren't everything
Taste- 77 the only redeeming qualities were in the first third of the smoke
Construction- 72 the draw and burn were inferior
Strength- 85 difficult to accurately rate this, so I go with average
Overall- 78.75 this is not good...enough said

Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Lancero

This is a rare incarnation of this blend, and I have seldom seen the lancero size available anywhere. The cigar presents well with a dark, nearly vein free wrapper. The construction seems to be exceptional, in my experience most cigars of this size seem as though they will be too tight. The pre light aroma has notes of cocoa and rich tobacco. The pre light draw shows rich tobacco notes and an earthy sweetness.

The cigar opens with full powered blasts of rich tobacco flavors, there are some sweet cocoa undertones that are intriguing. The draw is exceptional for a cigar of this size, and there is no labor involved in producing acceptable amounts of smoke. The burn is sharp and produces a crisp white ash.

The first third of the cigar shows excellent notes of rich tobacco, earth and cocoa. The depth of the profile is exceptional, but some complexity is missing. At the back of the palate there are some metallic, chemical flavors. The draw is still nearly perfect and the burn is performing well.

The middle third of the cigar continues to show nice depth, with flavors of rich tobacco, earth and some nice spice. The back of the palate issues are still present and the chemical, metallic notes are hurting the experience. The draw and burn continue to perform very well.

The final third of the cigar deteriorates. The chemical, metallic notes become more prominent and the rest of the profile takes on a charred characteristic. The burn and draw are still excellent.

The finish is short and bitter with metallic and medicinal qualities.

Appearance- 91 an attractive cigar, that is a bit lopsided
Taste- 82 some winning notes up front, that deteriorate in the body of the cigar
Construction- 95 this cigar performs very well
Strength- 85 an unremarkable medium/full
Overall- 88.25 based on appearance and construction, otherwise this is a must miss

Rocky Patel 1961 Robusto

This is a new blend from Rocky and I have been waiting to give one a go. The cigar presents with an oily sheen, and the wrapper has a nearly Colorado hue to it. There is one very prominent vein that runs the length of the smoke. The construction appears to be satisfactory and I do not detect any issues after an inspection. The pre light aroma has strong notes of spice with undertones of dark fruit. The pre light draw has a chemical flavor, but also shows notes of pepper and spice.

The cigar opens with a very tight draw, but I still do not feel anything in the cigar that would cause this issue. The profile has an interesting sweetness, but it is cloyed by a chemical flavor that is prominent. The burn has started out strong, but the labor to create smoke is disappointing.

The first third of the cigar shows some notes of spice, and sweetness. The chemical flavor has given way to a clean tobacco note that is interesting and very unique to this cigar. The draw loosens somewhat, but is still labor intensive. The burn has stayed sharp and is producing a nice clean, gray ash.

The second third of the cigar continues to show notes of spice, but the sweetness has taken on an herbal character. There are also some notes of light pepper and light wood at the back of the palate. The draw is still tight and is causing some undue heat to appear in the smoke. The burn has stayed crisp and the ash is well developed.

The final third shows some notes of vanilla and bread, but the chemical flavor has appeared again and is detracting from the overall experience. The draw is still too tight for me, but the heat is not hurting the smoke, there are no charred notes or feelings of discomfort. The burn is still excellent.

The finish has some bitter notes, and the chemical taste is still present. However, there are some pleasing notes of spice, roasted nuts and herbal sweetness.

Appearance- 86 the prominent vein detracts from the score
Taste- 82 due to the chemical notes a higher score is not possible, but the rest of the profile was pleasing
Construction- 78 the constant draw problems will not afford a higher score
Strength- 88 an enjoyable medium offering
Overall- 83.5 this could have been much better

Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Churchill

This cigar has about a year of age on it, as I bought the box in October of 08. The cigar presents with a wrapper that is nearly jet black and has little veining. The construction is firm and supple and the cigar has an oily sheen. The pre light aroma is of coffee and earth. The pre light draw shows notes of rich tobacco and coffee.

The cigar opens with blasts of coffee and tobacco, there is a sweetness at the back of the palate that adds to the overall profile and initial enjoyability. The burn is a bit lopsided and slow, there is some labor to produce the right amount of smoke. The first two inches proceed in the same fashion.

At near the halfway point the profile has notes of coffee, earth, tobacco and cocoa at the back of the palate. There is a slight metallic note in the profile that is detracting from the experience. The burn has stayed a bit slow, but there is less labor to produce acceptable smoke at this point.

The final third of the cigar develops notes of coffee, tobacco and cocoa. There is still a metallic note in the profile that is hurting the score. The draw and burn are the same, and the burn is becoming uneven.

The finish is smooth, but there are still metallic notes in the profile. There are notes of tobacco and earth.

Appearance- 91 an excellent looking cigar, it is a bit ruddy in the roll
Taste- 88 the metallic notes hurt the score, but the profile is tasty
Construction- 90 well made, but there were some issues with the burn
Strength- 87 a nice full bodied presentation, could use some more strength
Overall- 89 an above average smoke